an old knuckle baller, he still wears the
cap he wore in high school,
yellow&brown, embroidered LH, faded&nipped in time's toll---it
contrasts his grey temples, face full of whiskers, red rimmed eyes,
still wide, cheeks sagged, creased, work the salt off a peanut, teeth,
tongue shuck the shell & spit it in an ever increasing pile, like
bones at a chicken feast

one hand works the cover of a browned baseball, fingers flipping
around the leather&laces, through the repertoire of pitches he once
threw, the other works a pencil along a score card. he keeps
every hit, strike, ball, foul---every statistic of importance, a scratch,
scratch, scratch of lead, impression on paper, the game reflecting
in his cornea---spits another shell, works the ball, scratch, scratch
sisyphus

man on first, one out, pop, scratch, scratch, double play & it's
over, he folds the card in half, then quarters so it fits neat in
his back pocket, shuffles up the concrete steps between bleachers
to wherever he goes & whatever he does until tomorrow when
he'll be there, in his usual spot, spitting shells, hand running through
the memory of pitches & marking his card,
with one thing that makes sense

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Good morning - and thank you for the prompt..as usual probably obtuse and alluding to the theme..hopefully the sense of paper..and filling it comes through..a diary that is not quite sure of the story it wants to tell

This makes me wonder/warn: "Do you know where your diaries are?" Perhaps at some point, only the poems and publications should survive. Perhaps, like Anne Franks, it is good when they speak. Thank you, Arushi!

I have an invite to dinner, Poets, so I'm taking a train from this odd little suburb and heading to downtown Philly hoping the storm won't be too horrible. Indian food, a birthday treat. No--it is not my birthday--just an early gift from friend and FUN. I'll check in again before bed-time. Enjoy.

Happy Friday, Poets United! Poets can join in today and tomorrow too, so if you meet up with a poem and poet that fit the diary motif and would enjoy joining us, give them the link. I have been moved and inspired by this week's poems here and elsewhere. What a week!

If you have a poetry blog and have been ACTIVE by posting (and responding to others) on Poetry Pantry, or Verse First (and linking back to us) and wish to be added to this blogroll then click the link below so we can take a look at your blog......